Police stationed on the walls of Topkapi Palace
Because I missed an opportunity to visit the Archaeological Museum yesterday, I decided to visit this morning before I went to the airport. My alarm did not go off and I woke up 40 minutes late. I also had little Turkish Lira left so I had to visit a money exchange before heading over to the museum. As I was walking towards the museum, a fleet of police and ambulance went streaming by. As I walked past the Hagia Sophia to turn up Bab-I Hamayun street towards the Topkapi Palace (the Archaeological Museum is next to the Palace), I saw a medium sized crowd gathered and no one was proceeding up the street. The large gate to the Topkapi grounds was closed. Police cars and ambulances lined the street. After a few minutes, I heard rifle fire followed by a brief machine gun round.
Initially the police seemed a bit disorganized and allowed me and others to proceed up the street towards Topkapi and I got as close as 200 yards away. Don’t ask me why I wanted to get closer but I think I was just dumbfounded that something like this was happening. I shot some photos and videos as I walked toward Topkapi. Soon the police were pushing everyone back toward the corner of Ayasofya and Bab-I Hamayun streets.
I stationed myself on the corner as I watched waves of police, ambulances and armored cars go by. Gunfire continued the entire hour I stood on the corner.
About 40 minutes into the incident, the media started arriving with local media on the scene first followed by CNN Turkey and CNBC.
I finally decided to head back to the hotel after an hour or so as gunfire still rang out. The walk back to the hotel took about 20 minutes and when I arrived, the receptionist told me that they had apprehended the gunman and that he had wounded two people. I later learned on an Internet news story that the gunmen was shot dead.
I guess I have my alarm issues and lack of money to thank otherwise I could have been right in the middle of the mess.
And I though my last day would be uneventful. More photos from the scene:
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- Police stationed on the walls of Topkapi Palace
hey! just read this story on Aljazeera. the gunman was a Libyan citizen using a stolen car from Syria. great on scene pictures and reporting!
So, was it everything you hoped for? I so wished I could have gone with you. I still want to go back, but Nick would like to go too, so I guess the trip will have to wait.